West Ham and Israeli Players Eye Promotion in English Championship Season Opener

The English Championship season kicked off on Friday with Wolverhampton Wanderers facing Blackburn Rovers, marking the start of a competitive campaign. The highlight of the opening round will be West Ham United, featuring Israeli midfielder Manor Solomon, visiting Burnley on Sunday at 18:00 (Sport2). Prior to Solomon's match, two other Israeli players will begin their seasons: Lysov Issat with Bristol City hosting Millwall on Saturday, and Daniel Peretz with Southampton visiting Watford on Sunday at 15:30 (Sport2).

West Ham is widely regarded as the favorite to secure immediate promotion back to the Premier League. Betting agencies place West Ham at the top of the Championship standings, followed by the other relegated teams Wolverhampton and Burnley. Middlesbrough and Southampton are predicted to compete for the fourth promotion spot, with Birmingham City and Sheffield United also in contention.

ESPN's preseason analysis supports West Ham's strong prospects, noting the club's quality despite significant departures of Matheus Fernandes and Crisencio Summerville. The team combines Premier League experience with young talent eager to prove themselves. Middlesbrough is ranked third, while Southampton is fourth, partly due to a four-point deduction linked to an ongoing espionage case involving Tonda Akert. Despite this, Southampton's squad remains strong, retaining key players Daniel Peretz and Kyle Larrin and adding Luis Dobbin from Aston Villa.

Bristol City, with Lysov Issat, is forecasted to finish around 10th place, improving slightly from last season's 12th. The Championship's promotion system grants automatic Premier League promotion to the top two teams after 46 matches, while teams placed third to sixth enter playoffs involving two semifinal matches and a Wembley final for the third promotion spot.